III. UNDERTAKINGS FOR IMMEDIATE APPLICATION

  For the purposes of the continuation of studies and access to the subsequent stages of training in higher education institutions situated in their respective territories, the Contracting States recognize, under the same conditions as those applicable to local academic qualifications, secondary-school leaving certificates issued in the other Contracting States, the possession of which qualifies the holders for admission to the subsequent stages of training in higher education institutions situated in the territories of those Contracting States, provided the applicant satisfies or is given the opportunity to meet the requirements pertaining to the academic level prescribed for admission into those subsequent stages of training in higher education.

  The Contracting States agree to take all necessary steps at the national level with a view to:

(a) accepting, for the purpose of the pursuit of studies and access to the subsequent stages of training in higher education institutions situated in their respective territories and under conditions applicable locally, recognized qualifications obtained in a higher education institution situated in the territory of another Contracting State, which denote that a full course of studies at the higher level has been completed, unless a substantial difference can be shown between the general requirements for access in the Contracting State in which the qualification was obtained and in the Contracting State in which the recognition of the qualification is sought;

(b) defining the procedures applicable to the recognition, for the purpose of the pursuit of studies, of the partial studies pursued in higher education institutions situated in the other Contracting States.

  The Contracting States agree to take the necessary steps to ensure that certificates, diplomas, degrees and other qualifications issued by the competent authorities of the other Contracting States are effectively recognized so far as possible for the purpose of practising a profession within the meaning of Article 1, paragraph 1 (b).

1. Considering that recognition refers to the studies followed and the certificates, diplomas, degrees and other qualifications obtained in the recognized institutions of a given Contracting State, any person of whatever nationality or political or legal status, who has followed such studies and obtained such certificates, diplomas, degrees or other qualifications shall be entitled to benefit from the provisions of Articles 3, 4 and 5.

2. Any national of a Contracting State who has obtained in the territory of a non-Contracting State one or more certificates, diplomas, degrees or other qualifications similar to those defined in Articles 3, 4 and 5 may avail him/herself of those provisions which are applicable, on condition that his/her certificates, diplomas, degrees or qualifications have been recognized in his/her home country and in the country in which s/he wishes to continue his/her studies, without prejudice to the provisions of Article 20 of this Convention.

 IV. IMPLEMENTATION MECHANISMS

The Contracting States shall endeavour to attain the goals defined in Article 2 and shall ensure that the undertakings set forth in Articles 3, 4 and 5 above are put into effect by means of:

(a) national bodies;

(b) the regional committee defined in Article 9 below;

(c) bilateral or subregional bodies.

Article 8

1. The Contracting States recognize that the attainment of the goals and the execution of the undertakings defined in this Convention will require, at the national level, close co-operation and co-ordination of the efforts of national authorities, whether governmental or non-governmental, particularly universities and other higher education institutions. They therefore agree to entrust the application of this Convention to appropriate national bodies, with which all the sectors concerned will be associated and which will be empowered to propose appropriate measures. The Contracting States will furthermore provide all the measures required to ensure the effective functioning of these national bodies.

2. The Contracting States will designate a national body and place at its disposal the necessary means to enable it to collect, process and file all information of use to it in its activities relating to the recognition of studies, certificates, diplomas and degrees in higher education.

Article 9

l. A regional committee composed of representatives of all the Contracting States is hereby set up and its secretariat entrusted to the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

2. The function of the regional committee shall be to promote the application of this Convention and to oversee its implementation. It shall make recommendations, declarations, protocols and models of best practice to guide the competent authorities of the Contracting States in their implementation of the Convention and in their consideration of applications for the recognition of higher education qualifications. It shall receive and examine the periodic reports which the Contracting States shall communicate to it on the progress made and the obstacles encountered by them in the application of the Convention and also the studies carried out by its secretariat on the said Convention. The Contracting States undertake to submit a report to the committee at least once every two years.

3. The regional committee shall, where appropriate, address to the Contracting States recommendations of a general or individual character concerning the application of this Convention.

1. The regional committee shall elect its chairman and adopt its Rules of Procedure. It shall meet in ordinary session every two years.

2. The secretariat of the regional committee shall prepare the agenda for the meetings of the committee, in accordance with the instructions it receives from the committee and the provisions of the Rules of Procedure. It may formulate proposals with a view to measures to be taken by the committee. It shall help national bodies to obtain the information needed by them in their activities.

Article 11

1. The Contracting States may entrust existing bilateral or subregional bodies or bodies set up for the purpose with the task of studying the problems involved at the bilateral or regional levels in the application of this Convention and contributing to their solution.

2. The regional committee may likewise entrust appropriate African bodies with the task of studying and seeking solutions to the difficulties that present differences between the education systems and evaluation methods in use in the various subregions of the African continent entail for the harmonious and widespread application of the Convention.

V. INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS

Article 12

1. The Contracting States shall engage in ongoing exchanges of information and documentation pertaining to studies, certificates, diplomas, degrees and other qualifications in higher education and training.

2. The Contracting States shall develop, through national bodies, methods and mechanisms for collecting, processing, classifying and disseminating all the necessary information pertaining to the recognition of studies, certificates, diplomas, degrees and other qualifications in higher education and training, taking into account existing methods and mechanisms as well as information collected by national, regional and international bodies, in particular the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

3. Each Contracting State shall provide adequate information on any institution belonging to or operating as a recognized provider within its higher education system, and on any programme/course operated by these institutions in order to enable the competent authorities of other Contracting States to ascertain whether the quality of the qualifications issued by these institutions justifies recognition in the Contracting State in which recognition is sought.

4. Each Contracting State shall make adequate provision for the development, maintenance and delivery of:

1. 
   an overview of the different types of higher education institutions belonging to its higher education system, with the typical characteristics of each type of institution;
   
2. 
   a list of recognized institutions (public and private; contact and distance) belonging to its higher education system, indicating their powers to award different types of qualifications and the requirements for gaining access to each type of institution and programme/course;
   
3. 
   a description of higher education programmes
   

  The regional committee shall make all the appropriate arrangements for associating the competent national, sub-regional, regional, international, governmental and non-governmental organizations with its efforts to ensure that this Convention is applied as fully as possible.

  The provisions of this Convention apply to studies pursued at, and to certificates, diplomas, degrees and other qualifications obtained from, any recognised institution of higher education (public or private, contact or distance) under the authority of a Contracting State, even when this institution is situated outside its territory, or is under the joint authority of more than one Contracting State.

  This Convention shall be open for signature and ratification by the African States which have been invited to take part in the diplomatic conference entrusted with the adoption of this Convention.

1. Other States which are members of the United Nations, of one of the Specialized Agencies or of the International Atomic Energy Agency or which are Parties to the Statute of the International Court of Justice may be authorized to accede to this Convention.

2. Any request to this effect shall be communicated to the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization who shall transmit it to the Contracting States at least three months before the meeting of the ad hoc committee referred to in paragraph 3 of this Article.

3. The Contracting States shall meet as an ad hoc committee comprising one representative for each Contracting State, with an express mandate from his/her government to consider such a request. In such cases, the decision of the committee shall require a two-thirds majority of the Contracting States.

4. This procedure shall apply only when the Convention has been ratified by at least fifteen of the States referred to in Article 15.

Article 17

  Ratification of this Convention or accession to it shall be effected by depositing an instrument of ratification or accession with the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

  This Convention shall come into effect one month after the second instrument of ratification has been deposited, but solely with respect to the States which have deposited their instruments of ratification. For every other State which shall subsequently deposit its instrument of ratification or accession, the Convention shall come into effect one month thereafter.

1. The present Convention may be amended in accordance with the principles and procedures set out in the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.

2. The Contracting States shall have the right to denounce this Convention.

3. The denunciation shall be signified by an instrument in writing deposited with the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

4. The denunciation shall take effect 12 months after the instrument of denunciation has been received. It shall have no retroactive effects, nor shall it affect the recognition of studies, certificates, diplomas, degrees and other qualifications, which has taken place in accordance with the provisions of the Convention when the State denouncing the Convention was still bound thereby. Such recognition shall continue to have its full effect after the denunciation has become effective.

Article 20

  This Convention shall not affect in any way the treaties and conventions already in force between the Contracting States or the national legislation adopted by them in so far as such treaties, conventions and legislation offer greater advantages than those provided for in the Convention.

  The Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization shall inform the Contracting States and the other States mentioned in Articles 15 and 16 and also the United Nations of the deposit of all the instruments of ratification or accession referred to in Article 17 and the denunciations provided for in Article 19 of this Convention.

  In conformity with Article 102 of the United Nations Charter, this Convention shall be registered with the Secretariat of the United Nations at the request of the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

 IN FAITH WHEREOF the undersigned representatives, being duly authorized thereto, have signed this Convention.

 Done at Cape Town, this twelfth day of June 2002, in the English language, in a single copy which shall be deposited in the archives of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. A certified copy shall be sent to all the States referred to in Articles 15 and 16 and to the United Nations.